In which there is a little Spice and Magic
by tinkerchu
Summary: Howl finds himself having very particular dreams about a giant wolf. His investigations though only lead him further in to something that was more then he can bargain for. What is he and Calcifer suppose to do about this intruding wolf goddess, Holo?
1. Chapter 1

**This is probably a very crack fanfic. But the idea came to me just randomly and since I'm such a Howl junkie and I just adore Holo I couldn't resist.  
Don't worry, I don't see them together in a romantic relationship, only in a magical one.**

**BTW: This takes place shorty after Howl catches Calcifer**

**Oneshot: Howl Jenkins X Holo**

**I'm trying to get this beta-read! Anyone willing, please message me. **

* * *

**In which there is a little Spice and Magic**

_In some terms, I never knew it would come to this. Staring in the grinning face of a god was enough to turn my hair grey but I kept telling myself it was not the end. Thinking that this was one of those dreams I endured though my vigorous training, I decided to embrace it reaching towards it._

_But the wolf only shy aware disappearing in the abyss. The image of longing was on its face. Something that I was used to seeing in myself._

**----**

Taking more time then usual to get dressed, Howl Jenkins, wizard-in-training, trek his way downstairs while buttoning one lonely button on his cuff.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," the fire demon greeted him catching him by surprise.

"Hmm," mumbled the wizard. Calcifer was glaring at him quite intently. "Is something the matter?"

"Besides the fact that it took you longer to get up then normally. What were you doing up there?"

Howl smiled as he took a seat at his workbench. The cuff on his shirt still wasn't cooperating just right. "I think you know quite well what I was doing."

"If you're done wallowing in your extreme self-esteem issues, can you please toss me a log? I'm almost dying here!" He sighed as he got up obeying the complaints of his fellow companion. He toss in a fresh log in the hearth watching the flames explode brighter in an assortment of colors. It was particular how Calcifer was like no other fire he has since. Of course, Calcifer was no ordinary fire. Normally he figured that there was just a lot of potassium chloride in the log here, seeing as Porthaven was located on a harbor and naturally sea salt could have found its way easily in to the wood. In which that case, the color of the flame to be expected was to be a blueish color near the bottom.

Calcifer though burned with the intensity of colors all along the spectrum. There was really no other way to explain it. It was funny how magic bend the laws of science.

Nothing else could explain the things that he has seen. Including...

"Calcifer, can you tell me something?" Howl started to ask, but he had a feeling that Calcifer might know what it already was.  
"Depends if you move the firewood closer to my hearth." The flames turned in to a twisted grin.  
"If I do, you have to promise not to burn them all at once," he resolved. Business was good, but it was rough every now and then. He didn't have the money to waste on the unnecessary hungry appetite of one fire demon.

Calcifer chewed it over till he fumbled with an answer. "Fine, okay!"  
"You know that there's..."  
"Move it first." Calcifer demanded. Howl did not seem to want to argue with a creature that was 10,000 years old, so he complied with his part of the deal. He pushed the firewood rack within a Calcifer's arms length of the fireplace.  
"How's that?"  
"That's good, so you want to know about that dream you had last night?"

"Yes." Nothing less of what Howl expected. He already shared more then he knew about himself with the old ball of gas. Too bad he was the one still fishing for answers. And answers about himself no less. "You saw my dream too?"  
"Of course I did. I see everything, remember?"

_I wish it wasn't so, _Howl huffed dismally. But it was something to get used to.  
"And I can tell you this, " Calcifer continued. "Nothing good can come out of it." Howl listened to the ominous tone in his voice. It only made him more curious as he returned to his workbench. "Though I know telling you won't change your mind. Otherwise..."

Howl smiled as he finished his sentence. "Otherwise I would have second thoughts back then." _I never have second thoughts about turning back. *_

-----

Today was another uneventful day for the young starting-out wizard. Business was fair, which was to be expected in a small port-town such as Porthaven. Spells for ships were in high demand this time of year, so he was in luck.

"Sprinkle this against your sail and the wind should find it," Howl finished up with one of the customers.

"Thank you so much, Sorcerer Jenkin," the middle-age woman kept thanking him before he gently pushed her out of the doorway. Most of the customers were made to wait at the door these days due to the account of a certain fire demon that had a bubbling curiosity about the people that came to the door.

"You know, you can make more of an income if you charge more," Calcifer injected. It wasn't the first time he has noted the way that Howl did his business. He tend to undercharge most of them and only give the full price to the wealthy folk in the area.  
"Mrs. Pentstemmon did not send me here to make a fortune."  
"I know, I know..." _Though you still manage to charge all the rich people double._

"I wonder why she had to send me here all alone anyways. She has too much faith in me."  
Sitting at his workbench he finished the touch-up on the last spell he was commissioned for. His eyes wander over to a book he had opened earlier that morning and forgotten about. The page was lined in gold embroidered border with fairytale images everywhere. A mantle with a shrine to a giant wolf was what caught his attention. He studied the page more closely. It was a ritual for crops. Which meant the statue they were praying to was in fact a...

"A god?" He mumbled.

"What was that?" Calcifer crackled up in the hearth.

"Nothing," he forgot about the audience in the corner. Since he moved the firewood, he had heard little come out of the fire demon's mouth. "I was just reading."  
"Oh? About gods?" Howl turned away.  
"It's none of your concern, is it? Since you refuse to tell me anything."

"You don't ask the right questions." Howl chuckled. Nothing less to be expected. Calcifer was prone to be more sneaky then he appeared.  
"Then answer me this, what do you know about gods?"  
"They can be just as bothersome as demons, I can tell you that."

"Well I'm already aware of the problems to be encounter in the presence of one of those."  
"They sometimes have the tendency to attach themselves to things. Even people." Calcifer continued. "And it seems one has cling itself on to you."  
The gaze in Howl's eyes indicated that he did not know how to take that. It seemed natural at this point that magical encounters were to be expected in his job field.  
"In any case, this god seems to want something from you. I don't know what, but in most cases it can't be good. I would advise to stop communicating with it."

Howl sighed as he closed the book.

_----_

To escape was easy. Howl retired off to bed a bit early drifting off. He decided it was best to listen to Calcifer. Meddling in to something that was not in his best interest was not wise. Though if that was the case, he was already meddled in to a contract that was not in his best interest as well.

It was as true as Calcifer had purely stated. _Your heart really is soft.  
_Which was why it was more a burden to have it. It was always compiling him to do selfless things. Now Calcifer bared most of the weight.

_You're back. _Howl looked in to the eyes of the amber creature that stood at ten times the size of a normal wolf. _I know what you are this time.  
_Her eyes grew soft as she looked at him. Her heavy jaw parted open letting Howl catch a glimpse of those sharp teeth. All it made him think of was the fairy tale about the Big Bad Wolf.  
_Now what do you want of me?  
_She bent her head forward and nudged his chest. It was an awkward gesture that he did not understand.

_Home._

He heard her quite clearly in his head.  
_Home? Where is your home?  
_She backed away. Howl took more recollection of his surroundings. He was standing in a field, one quite unlike the ones he had seen in Ingary. It was full of a crop he was quite unfamiliar with. Inspecting it, he realized it was just a regular wheat field. Looking up at the moon, he saw that it was full and beaming. A seconds glance away and she was gone.

_---_

Howl awoke more dreary and tired then the night before. This was tolling on him more physically then he thought. Yet, he made sure to dress in his best today.  
"You look horrible," Calcifer commented.  
"Thanks," he said as he scuffed over to the pantry.

"You had another dream last night." Of course Calcifer knew. Howl continue to make his breakfast. "It seems that this wolf god is unable to move freely." Howl suppressed a yawn as he listened. "Which means that she will continue to pester you nightly."

_So ignoring it is not an option. _He knew with magical things like this, running away was not the best option.  
"Did you hear me?" Calcifer continued. "You need to do something about this."  
"I need to go see my mentor today. I take it you will won't burn the place down in my absence."

Calcifer mumbled. "What's wrong?"  
"You know what's wrong. What are you going to tell her about us?"  
He was right, it was the first time that Howl will go see Mrs. Pentstemmon since he caught Calcifer. If she would notice or not was beyond him. He couldn't undermine her abilities.  
"I will tell her nothing." He went to the closet to pull out his seven-league boots.

"Now don't spend all our money this time!"  
"I won't," Howl said. "Now be good while I'm gone." He pulled on his jacket before stepping out. "And don't open the door to anyone."  
"Yeah, yeah..." Howl locked up the shop and headed out.

---

Kingsbury was just how he left it. It was Howl's favorite place in Ingary. He one day wished he could open up shop here. If it was only possible to be in more then one place at once...

Putting off the shopping till later, he treaded the way up to the Royal Magicians Academy where he remembered spending his first few years in Ingary at. He sharpen up his appearance one more time and took a deep breath before stepping through the hallway. Mrs. Pentstemmon was expecting him in the usual room with tea already ready.

It went as normal as any other meeting. She would say something about the weather, ask how he was doing, in which in reply he would inquiry her health, then ask how the shop in Porthaven was.

"I'm so glad you decided to take up shop at such an isolated post. Most newcomers don't take such a desolate town to start business," she praised him.  
"It was the least I could do."  
"Though, I see that something has bothering you." Howl fumbled with his teacup. "Tell me, have you been sleeping well, child?"

"Yes, I've just been over-doing it these days."

Mrs. Pentstemmon smiled. "I can see that you're very dedicated." Howl calmed down and returned the smile. "But I called you here for a reason. The witch of the waste has been spotted very close to the marsh lands. Her activities these days have only increased."

"I understand."

"My only advice to you is to not challenge her at any cost." Howl was already taking more then necessary precaution. He was dismissed shorty after. It was barely noon giving Howl plenty of time to wonder the streets of Kingsbury to do some window shopping. He was sure Calcifer wouldn't mind if he spent some money. He would just have to remember to bring home some fire wood this time.

In any case, Calcifer might find the wood in Kingsbury to be a different quality then the one in Porthaven. If there was a different taste to it, he was sure Calcifer would appreciate the change.

He stopped by the food market to grab a quick piece of lunch. Some home-cooked bread straight out of the oven was the best. As he waited for the bakery to wrap up a loaf that would surely last him a week.  
Though remembering an experience that led him in to a wheat field was tempting him to ask about the area.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Howl asked the shop owner. "But do you make your own flour, or do you buy it from someone else?"

"Our flour?" she seemed baffled by his asking. "We get it from a flour mill in upper Folding. The best there is."

"I see. Thanks," he tossed a coin on the counter after she handed him his bread. He had forgotten that most the of the agriculture here was down out in the Folding near Market Chipping. He did not intend to investigate, but if the key to these dreams was in a wheat field then he would do anything. Anything for a better night's rest really.

Calcifer was getting tired of the nighttime exertions as well. He decided to put off some shopping till later to go to Upper Folding. Calcifer would understand.

He made it there in three strides of the seven-league boots. He has only been to Upper folding once, in which he remembered that one of Mrs. Pentstemmon's older students lived, which went by the name of Mrs. Fairfax. He also remembered she was one of those older bossier type women that he did not really like to be in the company of so he fore-go that path.

Royal Wizard Norland was also a resident of the area, but Howl found that he had no time to intrude upon a stranger's home, so he continued on to the flour mill. It was a depressing sight to be held. Was this the same crop field that was held so high in Kingsbury?

They must be going through a rough time. Howl sat down on the hillside below the folding. It was nicer then he expected out here in the countryside. He took out his bread and tore off a piece to munch on.

He didn't expect any company as he enjoyed his lunch, otherwise he would have noticed the girl sneak up behind him and take a spot right next to him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

The girl looked like any other farm girl dressed in Ingarian attire. She kept her head covered which was odd in this weather. But he was able to see her amber tresses and the glim of fiery set eyes underneath. It was actually a pleasant day in the spring after such a harsh winter.

"Yes, though it seems the season hasn't been so kind." He remarked looking at the field.  
"I wasn't talking about the crops. The sky, look there!" She pointed up ahead. "If you look just right, you can sometimes see the moon."

Looking up, he saw traces of the moon in the sky. _So, you can.  
_"Hey, what's your name?" He looked back at her. This girl was remarkably too beautiful to be an ordinary daughter of a farmer. Maybe she was from the village up from the Folding. And it wasn't every day that Howl had the chance to meet a pretty young lady.

"Holo."  
"Do you want a piece?" He offered her some bread. She shook her head. "Do you live near here?"  
"Over there." She pointed to a forested area.  
"In those woods?" She nodded.  
"Unless you came to take me home." She smiled teasingly as she tossed a piece of hair and adjusted her cap.

"Come to take you...home?"  
"Yes, I'm only visiting. And seeing as the people here have given up faith in me, there's no point in staying." Howl kept his mouth shut as he listen. "You only enjoy the bread that you eat because I was kind enough to bless them last season. But they lose faith in me in time. Because you see, if I bless them with good wheat every year, then they will come to depend on me on every harvest. And even I don't have the power to give them that every year."

_If this isn't another magical encounter, then I don't know what this is._

"Then you're must be...a goddess?" He saw Holo smile a toothy grin showing a full set of canines.  
"What makes you think that? It's not my fault they revere me as such. You must know the same trouble it causes, Sorcerer Jenkin."

Howl stood up at the call of his name. "So are you the goddess that has been tormenting my dreams?"  
_Though not in such an appealing form._

Holo laughed. "I haven't been tormenting you, have I? Though I think in your case, I have been bothering someone else as well."

"Then once your tactics have worked in bringing me to you, what do you want? It's not everyday I get summoned in such an usual manner to such an unusual being."

"I want you to set me free of this village. I have a home. A real home."

_How do I set a goddess free? _The one creature that may know that was settle in a hearth several miles away. Though if Calcifer was able to be an audience, he was highly doubtful. Otherwise he would hear him in his head.

_I'm here!  
_  
_Of course you are. Where were you when I was being snuck up by this thing?_

__

No time for that. Just go ahead and set her free so I can have a piece of mind!

"Holo, how is it that I can help you?" Holo looked pleased with the offer.  
She stretched her arms up, in which Howl thought he saw moment underneath her hood. "It's quite simple. All you need to do is grab a piece of the wheat down there that was recently harvested."

_It's that simple? _Howl looked down below.  
"Okay," Howl headed down to the farm. "Will you wait here then?"  
The indication he got was that of Holo curling up on the grassy plain was good enough. He purchased a small sack of wheat. She did not say how much she wanted, but some was good then none.

When he trek he way back up the hill, he found that Holo did not keep to the promise she thought she made. There was no trace of her anywhere. He waited for a few minutes. Remembering that he left a fire demon to look after the house, he gave up and headed home.

"Welcome home," Calcifer greeted. Howl looked more glad that Calcifer did not consume all the firewood. Especially since Porthaven turned out to be having one of those drizzling days it was so famous for. "So you bought home the wheat?"

Howl set it on his table. "Yes, she up and run away on me."  
"I hope that means she won't be bothering us anymore."  
"Did she really bother you that much?"  
"More then you'll ever know."

Just when Howl thought he was going to have a peaceful evening, he heard a knock at the door. Someone must have saw he come in, if there's a customer this late, and one brave enough to come in this chilling weather.

Howl got up and headed towards the door. Calcifer blazed up in the hearth.  
"Don't answer that...!"  
"Why not?" Howl asked, but it was too late. He had already open the door to let the visitor in out of the pouring rain. It was a girl cloaked from head to toe and seemed quite relieved to come in.

Calcifer returned to the bottom of the grate as the girl pulled back her cover revealing amber locks along with something else quiet particular.  
"Ah, that's better."  
Even Howl had no words for it. Somehow she had manage to invade his home just like she had invaded his dreams.  
"Holo! I thought I set you free." His eyes were more on those set of ears on the top of her head then her face.  
"You did," she said gliding over to the table grabbing the small sack of wheat. "As long as you process this wheat here, I can go anywhere I want."

Howl looked this over with a quick solution. He picked up the bag of wheat from her. "Then I relinquish this bag of wheat upon you." He set it back in her hands to give it a formal transfer. It was how the ties of such magical encounters like this are sometimes overlooked. He made sure to be quite outspoken on the situation here. "Now, if you can kindly get out of my..."

"Howl..." Calcifer retreated further in to the grate as he can for Holo was approaching fast. She tore off the rest of her cloak as she shook her body like an animal in attempts to dry off. It only made Calcifer hiss as sprays of water came flying at him.

Howl was speechless for one. There was more surprises hidden underneath the cloak, that including a tail.  
"I hope you don't mind me staying here for a bit." Holo sat on the rug in front of the fire as she smooth out her tail.  
He looked to Calcifer for advice, in reach he was still hiding. What was there for a fire demon to do against a wolf goddess?

"I thought you wanted to go home," he reminded her trying to logically get out of this mess.  
"It's too far away. Plus its quite miserable out there. I thought I could just follow you home."  
_That makes more sense._

_Howl, start researching on how to get rid of it! _He heard Calcifer yelling in his head.  
_Already on it. _  
Howl has always longed for company, but not of this kind. And one fire demon was enough for him to handle. He frantically started to search his sources as Holo made a bed out of his rug curled up in a bun.

* * *

**So first chapter complete. I'm always willing to write though. **

**Will be continued...**

****

Footnotes  
* Howl is referring to the other time in which he caught Calcifer. Just to clear any confusion up. I'm sure most of you got that reference anyway :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A continuation of Spice and Magic :)**

* * *

**In which there is fall too many tails and tales**

_Waking up was the hardest thing. Only to find that I wanted to wake up again. Would the nightmare ever end? Or was the nightmare just beginning..._

It was a hard time for Howl Jenkins, a wizard with so little experience, to wake up. His eyes open only to see texts and rustic-type drawings on heavy hardbacks. The smell of dust was all up in his nose. Sunlight, which was he thought was quite foreign in a town such as Porthaven where he only saw rain more then sunshine was beaming through dusty little window in the corner.

He remembered little of what was going on, and frankly wanted to not remember anything that _was _going on at all.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." The sound of the voice was muffled.

"Calcifer..." He drew his hand over his face.  
It _was _all a dream. Bless my magic!

Peering out the window he say that it was going to be one of those rare sunny days in Porthaven. He lifted his head off the cluttered stack of open books and look over to see Calcifer staring at him intently. That was quite the usual there. Then noticing the small bundle on the carpet below the hearth was where the unusual came in.

"You weren't dreaming..." Calcifer pointed out in a long steady tone of disappointed. For there on the rug was a little wolf girl curled up in a ball with her long bushy tail bundled up in her arms. It was sleeping. He watch as the bundle steadily raise and fall between each breath.

"Oh hell's teeth." Howl swore under his tongue even though it was against his better judgement to do so. If it was one thing he learned through all his years of magical training it was that Mrs. Pentstemmon hated a foul mouth more then anything.

"So what do we do?" Calcifer asked. They were both getting to wits end on this. But Howl had an idea and Calcifer seemed to be on the same wavelength as him.

"I hated this rug anyways." He said as he gripped firmly on to the edge of the ragged carpet.  
"So do I." Calcifer said as he watched Howl pulled the carpet with the dead weight on it. For something so tiny, it was sure heavy! How much did this girl weigh? She was cute, but not that cute.

"Almost there." Howl gleamed as he almost reached the finished mark. The door blew open for him magically.  
"Let me get that door..." Calcifer blazed up in excited anticipation.  
'Thanks, old chap." It was a nice sunny day too. At least he won't feel terribly bad for kicking her to the crub. This relief was short lived though.

Just when he was about to make the final pull over the doorstep, a slight flicker of the ears told him to step back.  
_Damn, she's awake._  
Somehow this is not going to look good when she realizes what just happened. But wait, what can she do about it? Besides magically following him home and harassing him, there was little to show of this Holo's true nature or power.  
To him, she was really just a girl with abnormalities.

"What happen? Why you stop?" Calcifer was trying to raise himself out of the hearth to see.  
"Nothing...I thought it was awake." Howl said after observing the fact that Holo had not stirred for more then a minute. He preceded to pull her the rest of the way out when his hand was only met with excruciating pain. Calcifer's question was quickly answered when he felt the sharp teeth that was laid in to Howl.

"She has fangs!" Howl was able to quickly shake her off after hearing Calcifer announced something he already figured out.  
"I know!"

"Hohohoho." The wolf laughed with a girlish charm. "You're trying to throw me out, are you?"

_Tried was an understatement. _He walked away to wash his hand in the sink. Who knew what contaminates the beast was carrying.

Holo watched amusingly at him like he was her prey. Everything that the wizard did interested her. And to think that a human would have tried..._no dare!..._to throw her out? But she had to bargain with herself. This man was no ordinary man.

He saw things. He saw her!  
It was what she needed to release her from her solitude.

Howl watched as the wolf sat lazily on the rug. Realizing it was wrong to try to toss her out, he came to his senses quickly.  
"I was wrong to do that. I'm deeply sorry," he apologized. She seemed pleased with that as a smile graced her lips.

"Okay." She stood there in the open hallway. Waiting...  
Sure she had won the battle, but she was anything but welcomed in his house.

Those wolf eyes pierced him all morning. To the table, to the door, to the workbench, back to the table. It was bad enough that the day started off busy. All the early shoppers were off doing their morning routines.

"Do you always do that with your customers?"

Her eyes met his as he spun around to met them. Those deep brown vacuous of hers.

"Do what?" It was an honest reply.  
"You undercut them."

"And how would you know?" He witness Calcifer curiously peering out of the hearth behind her.  
Her smiled grew wider. His insides shuddered as he caught a glimpse of those fangs.  
"You also overprice some of them."

He turned around to continue his work. Yet she went on. "It seems that some customers at your door get charge almost double then others for the same items."

The observation was true. Though the shadiness of the business was clear and the truth exposed, Howl kept his cool.  
"Is that so?"  
"What I don't know is why. Even when I add it up, the difference between them are the same. So you are not losing or gaining any profit."  
"Making money is not really a priority for me. As long as I have enough for living expenses I do get by."

When he saw that Horo was taking interest he continued.

"I understand what is it to some of those people. To try to scrap by for every little thing. That's why I can charge barely nothing to those who can't afford it."

"So you charge the folk that do have money so you can make up the difference?"  
"Yes, otherwise I would go horribly in to debt and won't be able to live." He chuckled lightly to himself.  
_She's pretty perceptive..._

"Hmm...don't you think if you moved your shop elsewhere you would make a better business?"  
"I bet I would be able to live quite comfortably. But my teacher wanted me to come and bless my kind gentle heart that I would."  
Calcifer sufficed a snicker at those last couple of words. The flicker of one of Horo's ears indicated she did not miss a beat.

"Hmm..." she looked up at the ceiling boards thinking deeply.  
"So what is your story then?" Howl was starting to feel a bit famish. After this morning's escapade he realize he forgot to eat a decent meal. While he waited for an answer he went over to his food cabinet to pull out some bread and cheese.

"I was born in the north."  
_North? The waste is not far off in that direction.  
_"Actually I quite miss it."  
"Why don't you go home then?" He started to slice the bread and cheese. He remember he had a guest and it would be quite rude to eat in their presence so he portioned her a size. Would she even eat it though?

"Well, you see...a very unfriendly neighbor moved in awhile ago." His knife fell short on the cutting board. "And ever since then...my home was never the same."

* * *

**Thanks for the support! It seems I have snag some people. I hope that story turns out great ^_^  
Stay tune for the next part. **


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